Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in Singapore

Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore

आत्मनॊ मोक्षार्थम् जगद्धिताय च
For one\'s own salvation, and for the good of the world

179 Bartley Road, Singapore 539784
Tel: +65 6288 9077 Fax: +65 6288 5798
office@ramakrishna.org.sg

Welcome

Ramakrishna Mission Singapore is a branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India, worldwide spiritual and welfare organization. Like the other branches in Asia-Oceania, North & South America, Europe and Africa, the Center is a self-sustaining unit that looks to the Ramakrishna Order for spiritual guidance.
The Center bases its teachings on the System of Vedanta, which combines both the religion and philosophy of the Hindus, especially as explained by Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), his wife and spiritual companion Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi (1853-1920) and his disciple Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) and demonstrated in their lives.
Vedanta teaches that every soul is potentially divine, and that its divinity may be manifested through worship, contemplation, unselfish work, and philosophical discrimination. According to Vedanta, Truth is universal and all humankind and all existence are one. It preaches the unity of the Godhead, or ultimate Reality, and accepts every faith as a valid means for its own followers to realize the Truth.

History

Swami Vivekananda’s visit to Singapore
Swami Vivekananda, on his way to America to attend the Parliament of Religions, visited Singapore on 12^th June 1893. During his short stay he went to see the Botanical Gardens and the Museum. After his brief halt many monks of the Ramakrishna Order paid their visits to Singapore and created interest in people. In a way they laid the foundation for a center to begin its welfare work here. The devotees and admirers of Singapore requested the authorities of the Ramakrishna Mission in India to start a branch here.
Inception
In response to their earnest appeal Swami Adyananda was sent to Singapore in May 1928. The Swami with the help of devotees and well-wishers started a branch center of the Mission on the 7^thof August 1928. The Mission set before itself some general guidelines to direct its activities:
1. Educational work – starting a day school for children and night school for adults.
2. Charitable works for all people.
3. Dissemination of spiritual ideas
Initial Activities

To facilitate the increasing activities of the Mission a spacious building was built at Norris Road in 1932. In the same year the center started the Vivekananda School with thirty-two students. Both English and Tamil were taught in this school. The Mission realized education for the adults would be the best way to remove the problems of alcoholism and unhealthy living habits and conditions among the poor sections of the community. The Mission started a night school for these people. A separate school for girls – ‘Sardamani girls’ School’ was opened in 1937. As soon it was opened it was filled to capacity and the school had to turn away many. The high academic standards maintained by these schools were praised by the Education Department. Much later, these schools because of declining number of students were discontinued.
Move to Bartley Road
The Boys’ Home which has been rendering commendable service for the last sixty years began its work in 1940, as five destitute students came under its care and protection. A spacious land was purchase at Bartley Road in 1941 to provide shelter to increasing number of poor and orphan boys. These boys lived in temporary dormitories. The orphan girls were provided accommodation at Norris Road. The Boys’ Home permanent building was built only in 1950.
During the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, the Mission sheltered hundreds of homeless people. The Mission did commendable work during the war by providing food and medicine to the victims of the war. It started a temporary hospital with eighty beds and dispensaries to help the sick and wounded.
The Governor of Singapore Sir Franklin Gimson, while inaugurating the workshop for the boys at Bartley Road in April 1948 said, ”The Ramakrishna Mission has always enjoyed a good reputation for charitable work and the Government is pleased to assist anybody of this nature which has interested itself in the care and upbringing of the young.”
Current activities of the Mission
Boys’ Home
The Boys’ Home began its work in 1940 with five destitute boys at Norris Road. To accommodate increasing number of poor and orphan boys it was shifted in 1942 to the newly acquired spacious land at 179 Bartley Road. The boys attended the schools at Norris Road from this place. In addition to their academic studies they were given vocational training in carpentry, machine repair, tailoring, basket weaving and toy-making.
The Boys from temporary dormitories at last were shifted to the present permanent building in 1950. It was opened by Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India. A second storey was added in1959. The boys’ Home activities are partly supported by the Ministry of Community Development and sports. Since its inception thousands of boys have gone out of the Home.
The former boys, now well-established, have formed an association – Ramakrishna Old Boys’ Association. This Association organized cultural and sports events to raise money for the Boys’ Home. They are doing laudable service.
For further details please visit: http://www.rkmbh.org/home.htm
Kindergarten
To impart character-building education and to impart moral values in young children at tender age, the Mission started a Kindergarten in 1992 with 126 children with an initial grant from SINDA. The Kindergarten is registered with the Ministry of Education and is open to all. Because of growing demand for admission, the Mission constructed a purpose-built building to provide accommodation to 400 children. In addition to the curriculum approved by MOE, the children are taught music and movement, English and Tamil speech and drama training. The children are exposed to computer-based learning through its multi-media computer center. Tamil, Hindi & Mandarin are taught as second languages. With its extensive green grounds, the children have the additional facility for loving and enjoying the natural and sylvan surroundings.
The Mission has constructed a new building and extended the facilities by adding additional classrooms, a new Computer Room and a gymnasium among others. The enrolment of children is now more than 500.
For further details please visit http://www.sarada.edu.sg/
Counselling Centre
Realizing the growing need for counseling services the Mission started a counseling service center in 1995. During this short period the Centre not only widened the area of its services but also gained rich experience and insights. In the beginning the center focused its attention on the school students and their problems. The professional counselors visited the schools in the neighborhood and offered the valuable services. From this beginning it has expanded its horizon to include talks, workshops, family therapy, home visits, guidance to parents and teachers, psychiatric service, Rainbow and language enrichment programmes and many other result-oriented services. With the expansion of the services the center is focused on providing a more holistic approach to meet the needs of children and adolescents. Service packages targeted at: Students, Teachers, Parents and family of the Students.
Helping those who are in need is a wonderful service, which brings joy and a sense of fulfillment. To be happy is to see the happiness of others.
The generous financial support of the National Council of Social Service has enabled the counseling center to render its services to the children and adolescents of Singapore.
The new building for the center makes available space and facilities for expansion of services and center-based counseling.
For further details please visit :http://www.wingssingapore.org/
Spiritual and Cultural Activities
The Mission has a beautiful temple dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna. People without any distinction of race, religion or creed are allowed to make use of the peaceful and spiritually vibrant atmosphere for prayer and meditation. The birthdays of great saints and prophets are celebrated with worship, prayers and discourses. Occasionally seminars and inter-religious dialogues are held to enhance inter-religious understanding to promote Religious Harmony. Saturdays and Sundays weekly scriptural classes are held.
Yoga Class
Training in Yoga is given to a large number of adults on all Sunday mornings. This Yoga course is free and open to all. It has become very popular.
Homoeopathy Centre
This Centre has been operating very successfully since 1993. Consultation and medicine are free. More and more people are showing interest in Homoeopathic treatment.
Classes for children
On Saturdays and Sundays children between the ages of four and twelve are taught music, bhajans and moral values.
Quarterly Publication
The Mission publishes a quarterly journal, ‘Nirvana’ to promote racial and religious harmony.
Above noted are few of the several activities of the Ramakrishna Mission Centre in Singapore.

Lectures & Talks

Talks on NARADA BHAKTI SUTRAS
Speaker: Swami Muktirupananda, President of the Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore
Time: Every Sunday, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Venue: Sarada Hall, Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore

Talks on BHAGAVAD GITA
Speaker: Swami Satyalokananda
Time: Every Saturday, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Venue: Library Main Building, Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore

Talks on SVETASVATARA UPANISHAD

Speaker: Swami Samachittananda
Time: Every Sunday, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Venue: Temple Hall (Level 1), Ramakrishna Mission
Details
Study of Upanishads makes the students wiser. One gets meaning to the life one is leading. A thoughtful person gets tired of the endless and aimless drudgery in looking after the body, keeping relations with the people of the world,and continuously remaining busy in the world etc etc. He hopelessly fails in finding the purpose of life in this world. He feels like a bird whose wings of freedom are cut too short to fly and to go forward in one’s spiritual life. Upanishads are the essence of the Vedas which are the authority for all spiritual guidance in Hinduism. The Vedas do not give dos and don’ts but show the way of life. They give the principles to follow and leave the responsibility on the contemporary scriptures (Smritis) and scholars to work out its details required for the present day society.
After the study of Kathopanisad, Kenopanisad and Taitttiriya Upanisad the fourth Upanisad which is taken up is this ‘Svetasvatara Upanisad.’ This Upanisad, belonging to Krishna Yajur –veda, takes its name from the sage ‘Svetasvatara’ who first revealed it to others, as mentioned in the verse 6.21 of this upanisad.
Along with the chanting of the mantras of this Upanishad in traditional way, help of the commentary of Sri Shankaracharya is taken to understand the meaning more clearly.

Socio-Cultural Activities

Bhajan and Chanting class
Bhajans and stotras on various Gods and Goddesses are taught along with the chanting of Bhagavad Gita, Vedic Suktas and other hymns.
Timings: Every Saturday and Sunday, 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm (after Evening Arati)
Venue: Sri Ramakrishna Temple
Age: Anybody who is interested

Sanskrit Classes
Timings: Every Sunday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Venue: Library, Ramakrishna Mission.

Spiritual Classes for Children
Time: Every Saturday, 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Venue: Temple Hall (Level 1), Ramakrishna Mission.
Age: 5 years and above
Details

In the present age it is a common phenomena in every part of the globe that the societies are facing a challenge of erosion of values. It is the religious scriptures and the lives of saints and seers that help us to understand and inculcate the values. It is very important that this values should to known to everyone during their very childhood so that the values can become guiding forces in their lives.
In this class, children are taught Bhajans (devotional songs), stories from Indian mythologies and other moral stories. They will learn the spiritual tradition of India through this class. This class is conducted by the devotees of the Mission under the guidance of the Swamis.

Library

Books on various topics including Vedanta, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Buddhishm, Philosophy, Psychology are available for borrowing at the Library, located in the Office Building.
Timings: 4 PM – 6 PM on Saturday and Sunday

Yoga

Yoga classes at Ramakrishna Mission have been popular and are conducted on Sundays at Sarada Hall for free.
Duration: 3 months
Registration Fee: S$10 (payable to RK Mission)
The next batch will be starting on 5th Jan 2014. Admission is on First Come First Serve basis.
Registration starts at 7 AM

Homeopathy

Led by a dedicated team of doctors, Homeopathy Center has been in operation successfully since 1993. Consultation and medicines are free.
Timings: Every Saturday 3pm – 6pm
Venue: Sarada Hall, Ramakrishna Mission.

Ramakrishna Mission Boys' Home is one of the Community Projects of Ramakrishna Mission, Singapore.

The Home is nurturing and bringing the boys who need care and protection. We provide conducive and cohesive environment for their holistic growth.

"Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man"

- Swami Vivekananda

WINGS Counselling Center

WINGS Counselling Centre, previously known as Ramakrishna Mission Counselling Centre was initiated in July 1995, as a pilot project of NCSS. Due to the overwhelming response from the community for its ‘School Social Work’ (SSW), Ramakrishna Mission Counselling Centre became a fully funded programme of NCSS in 1996.

Volunteer

Interested in volunteering ? Please contact the organization you are interested in via email or phone (during Office timings)
Sarada Kindergarten
+65 6288 5288
office@sarada.edu.sg
Ramakrishna Boys Home
+65 6288 7324, +65 6383 5760
rkmbh@ramakrishna.org.sg
WINGS Counselling Center
+65 6383 5745
admin@wingssingapore.org

Upcoming Events

11 Jan 2014, Sun – Ekadashi
Swami Vivekananda’s Birthday Celebrations on 23rd Jan 2014

Contact

179 Bartley Road, Singapore 539784
Tel: +65 6288 9077 Fax: +65 6288 5798
office@ramakrishna.org.sg

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

(My humble salutations to the great devotees , wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Holy Pilgrimage - Theertha Kshetra)